Why is setting goals important? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Instead of just letting life happen to you, goals allow you to make your life happen. Successful people imagine how their life should be and set lots of goals.

    By setting goals you are taking control of your life. It's like having a map to show you where you want to go. Think of it this way. There are two drivers. One has a destination in mind which can be found on a map. She can drive straight there surely without any wasted time of wrong turns. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver, but she drives aimlessly around, never getting anywhere, just using up gas. Which driver do you want to be?

    Winners in life set goals and follow them through. They decide what they want in life and then get there by making plans and setting goals. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Goals aren't difficult to set and they aren't difficult to reach.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You are the one who must decide what to achieve and in what direction to aim your life.

    Research tells us that when we write a goal down we are more likely to achieve it. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Like a contract(合同) with yourself, they are harder to neglect or forget. Also when you write your goals in a particular way, you are able to make yourself continuously aware of situations that will bring you nearer to your goal.

    Maybe you are an average student. You probably think you will never be a top student. However, anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here is how

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} When you plan your week, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. Choose a good, regular time for studying. Of course, studying shouldn't take all your time. Don't forget to set aside enough time for entertainment.

    Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space free of everything but studying materials. No games, radios, or television.

    Make good use of your time in class. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Listening carefully in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.

    Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes. Prepare lessons before class and try to know what your teacher is going to discuss the next day. Do read that material. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The purpose of a test is to show what your have learned about a subject. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be over-worried.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You will probably find many others after you have tried these.

A.   There are other methods that might help you with your studying.

B.    Develop a good attitude to tests.

C.   Make full use of class time to listen to everything the teachers say.

D.   No one can become a top student unless he or she works hard.

E.    Plan your time carefully.

F.    A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems

G.   This will help you understand the next class.

    We've all experienced peer pressure (同伴压力). It happens to everybody. However, people have different reactions. Confident people refuse to do things they don't want to do, but shy and anxious people often give in. It may be because they want to be liked. It may be because they worry that their friends will make fun of them, or perhaps they're just curious about trying something new. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    It's hard being the only one who says no and the question is：how do you do it? {#blank#}2{#/blank#}If you think that missing maths, or smoking, or going somewhere you know your parents wouldn't like is a bad idea then the answer is simple：don't do it. It's your decision, nobody else's. You don't need to be aggressive. You don't need to shout and scream, but you must be confident and you must be firm. You need to say, "No thanks. I don't want to do that."

    Being on your own against everybody else is very hard, so it can really help to have at least one other peer, or friend, who will say no too. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You want friends who will support you when you're in trouble. You don't want people who will always agree with the majority. Remember, the most popular people aren't always the most trustworthy.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  You can learn a lot from people your own age. They can teach you great football skills or the best way to do your maths homework. They can recommend music and advise you on fashion. And don't forget you can tell them things too, and that always feels great. So, find friends who have similar interests. And remember, friendship isn't about feeling depressed and guilty. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Choose your friends carefully.

B. Firstly, you must decide what you believe.

C. It's about sharing experiences and having fun.

D. Of course, peer pressure isn't completely bad.

E. It may be because they were all born to be stubborn.

F. Depression and guilt will surely give you peer pressure.

G. Whatever the reason, some people end up doing things they really don't want to.

    There was once a lonely girl who longed so much for love. One day while she was walking in the woods she found two starving birds. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} She cared them with love and the birds grew strong. Every morning they greeted her with a wonderful song. The girl felt the great love from the birds.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The larger and stronger of the two birds flew from the cage. The girl was so frightened that he would fly away. As he flew close, she grasped him wildly. Her heart felt glad at her success in capturing him. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} She opened her hand and stared in horror at the dead bird. Her desperate love had killed him.

    She noticed the other bird moving back and forth on the edge of the cage. She could feel his great need for freedom. He needed to fly into the clear, blue sky. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The bird circled once, twice, three times.

    The girl watched delightedly at the bird's enjoyment. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} She wanted the bird to be happy. Suddenly the bird flew closer and landed softly on her shoulder. It sang the sweetest songs that she had ever heard.

    The fastest way to lose love is to hold on it too tight, while the best way to keep love is to give it wings!

A. Her heart was no longer concerned with her loss.

B. Suddenly she felt the bird go softly.

C. She took them home and put them in a small cage.

D. She gave them some delicious food and left.

E. She lifted him from the cage and threw him softly into the air.

F. One day the girl left the door of the cage open.

G. One day she left with the two birds at home alone.

Decoding the young brain

    There was a funny experiment to see how a young child would answer a specific question compared to an adult. After the adult had spent some time speaking with the child, he asked the child, “What do you think about me？” The child answered, “You talk too much.” When the adult performed the same experiment with another adult, the reply to the same question was, “I think you're a very interesting person.” Even if the adult felt the same way as the child, his brain allowed him to take a moment，consider the question, and come up with an answer. He could have been annoyed, but his answer didn't reflect it because he was being polite.

    The secret lies in the science of the developing brain. The child's honest answer was reflected in the fact that his brain wasn't equipped to filter(过滤) information before answering the question. As a result, he was honest, but he said something that may have been hurtful. However, the child did not intentionally hurt the adult; it's just the way his brain works. As a child grows into adolescence and then into adulthood, that changes.

    The human brain is made up of billions of neurons(神经元). In order for our body to execute a command, like getting up from a chair and walking to the other room, the neurons in the brain have to communicate with each other. They also help us employ our senses like taste and touch and help us remember things.

    When the neurons send messages, perhaps one sensation(感觉) the person feels is excitement about eating a cookie because it is so delicious. Later, if that person smells a cookie or hears someone talking about a cookie, it can spark the electrical signals that call up the memory of eating the delicious cookie. In an adult, he or she may remember that eating too many cookies can have consequences, like weight gain. But because the younger brain is more impulsive(冲动的), the desire to feel the pleasure of the sweet treat outweighs the consequences.

    That is because when a child is young, his brain is “wired” in such a way that he seeks pleasure and is more willing to take risks than an adult. This affects his decision-making process and it is why younger people tend to be more impulsive. Sometimes parents have to tell their children over and over again before the child remembers that something is dangerous or risky. How many times have we heard a parent say, “I tell her this all the time, but she never listens！”

    To conclude, what we know about the young brain is that children are more likely than adults to be impulsive. It isn't always necessarily because they are being naughty; it may very well be because of their brains. So the next time you ask a child what he really thinks of you, be prepared for any kind of answer.

    Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box.

    Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

    Are Your Clothes Causing Pollution?

    Very small pieces of plastic, called microfibers, are polluting rivers and oceans. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Clothes worn for outdoor activities and exercise are often made of artificial material, which is useful in keeping warm. But they contain very small plastic fibers, which may also be harming the environment when you wash them. When people wash these clothes, very small pieces go down the drain with the wash water.

    Studies on microfibers in the environment

    Pollution caused by plastic is not new, but recent studies have shown the effect of microfibers in the environment. Studies show very small microfibers are ending up in our waters, which may come from waste water treatment factories. A 2015 study found them in fish from California.

    Microfibers, effect on food supplies

    Beyond the waterways, the researchers say microfibers may end up in soil and agricultural lands. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} This means there is much to be learned about microfibers and the environment. Some studies have shown that microfibers end up inside sea animals, like oysters. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Researchers say that the fibers tend not to move into the tissue of the fish, but it needs more study.

    Steps to save or keep microfibers from the environment

    Until more information becomes known, there are steps to take to reduce the amount of microfibers in the environment. People should use less of the artificial materials. If we already have those in our lives and we're using them, an important step would be washing them less. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} A bag is being designed in which to wash these clothes. It traps the microfibers in the bag and it may be available for purchase soon.

A. New technology may also help.

B. So if these microfiber s have been found in fish and seafood, are they safe to eat?

C. They can also move around the atmosphere.

D. Studies are conducted on how much of the microfibers is released

E. The source of these microfibers may surprise you: your clothes.

F. Washing machines keep microfibers from escaping with w ash water.